Some of the best musicians have a connection with a particular time or place. Elliot Smith had a tattoo of a map of Texas drawn on his upper arm, John Cooper Clarke was referred to as the bard of Salford, then there’s Liverpudlian Jamie Webster. Working-class, working hard, his music portrays the trials and tribulations of a city powered by blood, sweat and tears. Venture down to the docks, and you’ll witness the demise of an industrial powerhouse. Once a hub of ships, trading, and smuggling, it now plays a central role in the cultural life of historians, artists and chefs. A new generation has been born. The past has gone, but will never be forgotten.
Jamie lays bare to this. His long-awaited debut album, We Get By, set to be released on the 21 August via Modern Sky, represents everything great about Liverpool; the people, the laughter, the passion. Jump into any taxi or enter any pub or bar, and you’ll understand the modern-day stories running through the record. You can feel the tough exterior in his voice, the powerful, yet assured tone in his guitar, each song is a tribute to those left behind, stereotyped and branded with a boiling hot prod. The scars are ever-present but will never be ignored. Jeremy Corbyn once said: “for the many, not the few”. Jamie should shout from the rooftops: “This place has cries and screams. But there’s plenty of people. Building hopes and dreams”. A man of the people with a lot to say, we’re waiting with bated breath.
To keep us going, Jamie has filmed a dock-umentary series detailing the meaning behind his music, while performing an acoustic session. Living For Yesterday is the second video, and you can watch it now on Independent Music News. Enjoy.